Caught in the Love of My Brat Student

Nadine massaged her tired head; every day, the arguments with her mother were about the same thing. Her mother complained as if she were the most unfortunate mother in the world because her daughter couldn't find a match. If finding a husband were as easy as finding an Angora cat, she would have been married long ago. What else could she do? The men out there preferred women who had just graduated high school over a spinster like her. "Stop being so picky. Mr. Broto isn't that old; he's only forty-five, and his kids are already grown. You'd just enjoy the benefits." Her mother grumbled while chopping vegetables in the kitchen. "Mother, isn't there anything better than that?" Nadine's mother turned around, looking at Nadine angrily. "You're too choosy. I'm really embarrassed in front of the neighbors, who always ask when you're getting married." Nadine closed her eyes in exhaustion; she felt she'd rather spend time on campus than engage in endless debates with her mother. Nadine left her mother, entered her room, and would only come out at certain times, so she wouldn't be asked again. When are you getting married? If she found the right person, she'd get married immediately. What's lacking in her? She's pretty enough, has a good figure, and a solid career, but men always back away before even getting to know her. *** Riley scratched his head, even though it wasn't itchy. He'd been reading the first chapter of his thesis proposal for two hours, and he still didn't understand what he had written. Maybe he wrote it while sleep-talking. The title was suggested by his junior so he could pass the proposal title selection. Now his junior had graduated, leaving Riley to struggle with his own proposal. It's been a year; the proposal was left untouched and stored in his treasure box. Now it's reopened, ah! If only writing a proposal were as easy as writing a love letter. His father had high hopes for him, being the only child he was proud of. Getting a bachelor's degree was his father's dream from long ago, even though he had to repeat a year in high school. He's the son of the village head in his hometown; his father is highly respected and considered an elder. What would people say if he came back without a degree? All this time, he managed to find excuses when his father asked why he hadn't graduated yet. Even in the last two months, his allowance had been reduced. His charming face, reminiscent of a young Aamir Khan, was now exposed to the sun because he worked as an online motorcycle taxi driver. What else could he do? If he didn't work, he wouldn't eat. The money sent by his father from the village was only enough to pay for tuition. The words of the lecturer earlier that afternoon still echoed in his head, making his head feel like it was going to explode. Meeting that beautiful lecturer only traumatized him. The lecturer, whose name he didn't know, was strict, firm, and couldn't take a joke. If only he had a fraction of that lecturer's ability, college would be much easier. "What do you want to research? If there are no problems in this case? The problem will occur if the theory doesn't match reality. Study it again! See me tomorrow! If you still don't understand, you'll have to propose a new title." Riley ruffled his long hair, leaving it messy. He was dizzy and didn't understand; if he didn't graduate, his father would hang him. The house, rice fields, and land had been mortgaged to send him to school this far. He was studying in a place for rich people, with high tuition and lifestyle costs. If he could choose, he would choose to be born with an average face but a smart brain, rather than a face that outshines a young Aamir Khan, but with a slow brain. Riley banged his head against the side of the table. Not a single idea came to him. Maybe his mother had fallen while pregnant with him, causing his brain to get hit and unable to grasp lessons. Riley shifted his gaze when his much younger roommate entered the room. His name was Zaki, still in his first semester, but his brain was incredibly sharp. "What's up, Bro?" Zaki glanced at the pile of papers in front of Riley. Oh God, that kid was more suited to call him uncle than brother. "The usual, new struggles, same old problems." "Oh," Zaki replied. "Can I borrow the charger, Bro?" Riley gestured, and Zaki left his room. It was already one in the morning. Tomorrow he would meet the strict lecturer; he felt resigned now. "Fairy Godmother, please come down and help me!" he said as he got under the blanket, and without waiting long, he drifted into a dream. Nadine removed her hijab, truly exhausted at this moment. She had spent the entire day on campus dealing with Riley Pradipta, the older student who still hadn't graduated. Riley had just been transferred to her by the department head, and she was now acting as the Academic Advisor for him after other lecturers had given up. Nadine had long heard of his name, as Riley was very popular with the title of "Perpetual Student" that he carried. Indeed, he was already in his thirteenth semester and was at risk of being dropped out, with only one semester left. Nadine shook her head as she looked at his academic transcript, with C's and D's scattered like stars in the sky. Riley only responded wearily when Nadine forced him to show his transcript. His thesis was still in the first chapter, and even that wasn't complete. Nadine wondered what Riley had been doing all these years at the university. Riley was a difficult case that she had to resolve, and her professionalism was currently at stake. Riley... Nadine almost laughed when she imagined that face, a model-like face but with low IQ, compounded by the chronic laziness he exhibited. Riley even knelt at Nadine's feet so that he could graduate with her help. "Miss, the fields have already been mortgaged to send me to college, if I get dropped out, my father will be furious with me back in the village." Nadine should have been sympathetic to her student's complaints, but instead, she laughed. It felt like a marriage proposal. Nadine sighed, recalling the earlier incident, now ready to tackle the challenge of saving the perpetual student named Riley. "Okay, I need to make a list to tackle Riley's problems one by one."